IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v14y2021i15p4692-d607207.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Analysis of Natural and Power Plant CO 2 Emissions in the Mount Amiata (Italy) Volcanic–Geothermal Area Reveals Sustainable Electricity Production at Zero Emissions

Author

Listed:
  • Alessandro Sbrana

    (Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Pisa University, Via Santa Maria 53, 56126 Pisa, Italy)

  • Alessandro Lenzi

    (Enel Green Power S.p.a., Via Andrea Pisano 120, 56126 Pisa, Italy)

  • Marco Paci

    (Enel Green Power S.p.a., Via Andrea Pisano 120, 56126 Pisa, Italy)

  • Roberto Gambini

    (RE&E, Rethinking Energy and Environment, 00184 Rome, Italy)

  • Michele Sbrana

    (Terra Energy S.r.l., Via Lenin 132, 56017 San Giuliano Terme, Italy)

  • Valentina Ciani

    (Terra Energy S.r.l., Via Lenin 132, 56017 San Giuliano Terme, Italy)

  • Paola Marianelli

    (Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Pisa University, Via Santa Maria 53, 56126 Pisa, Italy)

Abstract

Geothermal energy is a key renewable energy for Italy, with an annual electric production of 6.18 TWh. The future of geothermal energy is concerned with clarity over the CO 2 emissions from power plants and geological contexts where CO 2 is produced naturally. The Mt. Amiata volcanic–geothermal area (AVGA) is a formidable natural laboratory for investigating the relative roles of natural degassing of CO 2 and CO 2 emissions from geothermal power plants (GPPs). This research is based on measuring the soil gas flux in the AVGA and comparing the diffuse volcanic soil gas emissions with the emissions from geothermal fields in operation. The natural flux of soil gas is high, independently from the occurrence of GPPs in the area, and the budget for natural diffuse gas flux is high with respect to power plant gas emissions. Furthermore, the CO 2 emitted from power plants seems to reduce the amount of natural emissions because of the gas flow operated by power plants. During the GPPs’ life cycle, CO 2 emissions in the atmosphere are reduced further because of the reinjection of gas-free aqueous fluids in geothermal reservoirs. Therefore, the currently operating GPPs in the AVGA produce energy at a zero-emission level.

Suggested Citation

  • Alessandro Sbrana & Alessandro Lenzi & Marco Paci & Roberto Gambini & Michele Sbrana & Valentina Ciani & Paola Marianelli, 2021. "Analysis of Natural and Power Plant CO 2 Emissions in the Mount Amiata (Italy) Volcanic–Geothermal Area Reveals Sustainable Electricity Production at Zero Emissions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-22, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:15:p:4692-:d:607207
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/15/4692/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/15/4692/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Paolo Fulignati & Paola Marianelli & Alessandro Sbrana & Valentina Ciani, 2014. "3D Geothermal Modelling of the Mount Amiata Hydrothermal System in Italy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 7(11), pages 1-20, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Paul L. Younger, 2015. "Geothermal Energy: Delivering on the Global Potential," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-18, October.
    2. Ewa Chomać-Pierzecka & Anna Sobczak & Dariusz Soboń, 2022. "The Potential and Development of the Geothermal Energy Market in Poland and the Baltic States—Selected Aspects," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-20, June.
    3. Seyed Poorya Mirfallah Lialestani & David Parcerisa & Mahjoub Himi & Abbas Abbaszadeh Shahri, 2022. "Generating 3D Geothermal Maps in Catalonia, Spain Using a Hybrid Adaptive Multitask Deep Learning Procedure," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-16, June.
    4. Ivan Kosović & Maja Briški & Mirja Pavić & Božo Padovan & Ivica Pavičić & Bojan Matoš & Marco Pola & Staša Borović, 2023. "Reconstruction of Fault Architecture in the Natural Thermal Spring Area of Daruvar Hydrothermal System Using Surface Geophysical Investigations (Croatia)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-22, August.
    5. Alessandro Sbrana & Paola Marianelli & Giuseppe Pasquini & Paolo Costantini & Francesco Palmieri & Valentina Ciani & Michele Sbrana, 2018. "The Integration of 3D Modeling and Simulation to Determine the Energy Potential of Low-Temperature Geothermal Systems in the Pisa (Italy) Sedimentary Plain," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-20, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:15:p:4692-:d:607207. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.